Preliminary Psychometrics and Potential Big Data Uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool

Mil Behav Health. 2020;8(1):74-85. doi: 10.1080/21635781.2019.1676334. Epub 2019 Oct 18.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to explore the psychometric properties of the U.S. Army's Family Global Assessment Tool (GAT), which assesses the psychosocial fitness of Army families. With data from 1,692 Army spouses, we examined the structure, reliability and validity of the GAT, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and two validity studies. Fifty-three items and 9 factors were retained following CFA. This model provided a good fit, and scales demonstrated strong internal consistency. Bivariate correlations and results from a theoretically driven model provide preliminary evidence of validity. Findings support the usefulness of the GAT for measuring psychosocial fitness of Army spouses.